The breaks that have gone all season against Georgia Tech, then dramatically went for the Yellow Jackets in their stunning win over Florida State on Saturday, returned to their standard course of direction against Virginia.
Tech didn’t help matters either.
The biggest break was the loss of defensive tackle Adam Gotsis on the first play of the game. Gotsis has been Tech’s best defensive player, and not surprisingly, the Jackets were overrun with 233 rushing yards by the Cavaliers, the fourth time in the past five games that Tech opponents have rushed for 200 or more yards.
“Adam’s been our best player on defense, and he’s kind of a leader out there,” coach Paul Johnson said. “So, sure, that didn’t help.”
But, ultimately, Tech did itself in. The Jackets were too often bamboozled by Virginia’s pre-snap motion and assortment of formations. Worn out and overpowered, they missed a bushel full of tackles.
“Everybody pretty much messed up,” cornerback Chris Milton said. “You could see the outcome. You can see we didn’t do the things that we should have done to win the game.”
They didn’t bring the same intensity that they had summoned in the upset of Florida State. After bringing the hammer to FSU, rallying quickly to the ball, Tech defenders too often played the role of the nail against the Cavaliers.
On offense, Thomas threw for 251 yards, the second-highest total of his career, and wide receiver Ricky Jeune recorded his first 100-yard game, with five catches for 103 yards. But the game ended with a final missed opportunity. The Jackets cut the lead to 27-21 with 1:41 to play and then recovered an onside kick, giving them the ball at their 46-yard line and a chance to pull the game out. They had two timeouts to use.
But in a season that has been short of playmakers, breaks and effective play, Tech again didn’t have enough of any and turned the ball over on downs at the Virginia 34.
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